NASCAR CUP SERIES
CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MAY 25, 2024

 Chase Elliott, Driver of the No. 9 NAPA Patriotic Camaro ZL1 and the No. 17 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro SS, met with the media in advance of racing double duty in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Media Availability Quotes:

Talk about running double duty… not the same extent of Kyle Larson, but in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Cup Series. Hope helpful is it or are you just doing it for the fun of it?

“Yeah, basically it was as simple as – Chad (Knaus) came to us over the winter last year and said that they were going to likely be keeping the No. 17 Xfinity car going for another handful of races this year, and we’re probably going to start incorporating some more ovals into that, so that was appealing to me. They just kind of sent out – hey, these are the races we’re thinking.. what do you guys have interest in? And if any of our interested races clashed, then we would figure out how to sort them out. We were all pretty laid back about it. It wasn’t a huge thing. so just the way it worked out.

Charlotte (Motor Speedway) fit my schedule and it fit their schedule. I wanted to get some more laps here, and I felt like it would be a good weekend to do that. It was on the calendar, so it worked out really well. I’m excited about it.”

Greg Ives, putting him in a position where he can build that team, but also mentor people who come in different areas of the team and try to get them Cup ready for Hendrick Motorsports. How important is it to have somebody like Greg in that role?

“Yeah, I think it’s extremely important. You touched on it, but that’s the biggest piece of doing the No. 17 car in-house.. it is challenging to make sure that our team members have the proper amount of reps at the racetrack. During a practice environment, it goes by really quick; performing to the expectation and to the level of what a Cup crew chief expects of their guys. It’s just hard to get those guys reps if they’re new, or if we have someone come off the road or any personnel change. So it’s a really good opportunity for Hendrick Motorsports to kind of groom their own people in their own way; have people ready in case maybe a guy misses a weekend. Then you have somebody that can jump in that has a little bit of experience; know what to expect and just how to execute a proper practice and things like that. So that’s really been the biggest reason why I think it’s continued, and ultimately I think is a really good decision for the company to make sure – not just the drivers getting some extra reps here and there, but it’s also important for the crew members to, as well.”

NASCAR fined Ricky Stenhouse Jr. $75,000 for the fight, the most they’ve ever fined a driver…

“$75,000? Wow.. I heard he got fined, but I didn’t know it was $75,000.

Yeah, $75,000.. I was going to ask if you thought it was appropriate. I don’t know if you’ve thought about it much, but do you think that’s a lot?

“Yeah, that’s a lot.. that’s a lot of money. That seems wild to me.

Yeah, that seems like a lot for that situation. You’re going to fine him, but you’re going to promote with it.. like what are we doing? That’s a little strange to me. That’s just the first thought that comes to my mind, is that’s a lot of money to fine a guy. It’s not OK, but we’re going to blast it all over everything to get more clicks. I don’t really agree with that.”

You haven’t been able to do much Xfinity Series racing over the last couple of years. What do you enjoy about being able to take a step back into the series that kind of launched you and your career into the Cup level?

“Yeah, for sure. Those two years, 2014 and 2015.. particularly 2014, was a really big year for me. Just the way the timing all worked out and whatnot. It was really last minute that we even raced full-time that year. There was a really good shot that we were just going to run five or six (races), and I would have been thrilled with that. All the pieces of the puzzle fit together at the right time with NAPA and everything else. To your point, yes – two extremely important years for my career, particularly 2014. I kind of felt like that was my opportunity to either do something or not, especially when it became a full-time season versus five or six races that we had talked about doing.”

Denny Hamlin recently said that he’d rather win a lot of races and no championships, rather than a few races and championships. You’ve done both – you’ve won a lot of races and you’ve won a championship. Which of those two elements of the sport are you most proud of – the wins or the championship?

“That’s a good question. I think it depends on where you’re at in your life, honestly. Like when I get done racing and I look back, I’m going to be proud that we won a championship. I’m also proud of the wins, for sure. But I think having a lot of wins means that you’ve had a lot of good days spread out through a long period of time. So I just think that general satisfaction that you get from a race win or a day going your way – if those wins are in large quantities like that, I think ultimately that means that you’ve had a lot of good days leaving the racetrack and a lot of satisfaction in performance, in yourself and your team.

I can understand his argument on that, for sure, because races happen weekly. A championship only happens one time a year. I think the championship thing is something that probably sticks with you more after you get done and that type of gratification. But certainly, being in the moment and being in the heat of the battle, I think winning a lot can certainly make your overall satisfaction of how you’re doing with your job more enjoyable and happier.”

With Kyle Larson’s experience in Indy, how closely have you been following what he’s been doing and how the No. 5 team has been reacting to it, as well? How tuned-in will you be on Sunday as that race is going on?

“Yeah, I’ve tried to keep up, for sure. It’s been fun to watch, what I have been able to keep up with. It seems like they’ve been doing a great job at Indy. Obviously I work closely with Cliff (Daniels) – I hear a lot from him and whatnot, way more than the INDYCAR side, so I’m hearing most of it from him. He’s an extremely well-prepared guy. I know he’s going to do his part to make sure his side of the picture goes really well. So I wouldn’t be concerned about that at all, if I was Kyle (Larson) or anybody else.

But yeah, I think they seem to be handling it all extremely well. It seems like just the logistics, the plans and the backup plans and all that stuff with the aviation group and everything else; they’re all just top-notch people. At Hendrick Motorsports, Rick (Hendrick) does a really good job of choosing the people that work in different departments. Everyone is excited about it, and I think it’s really cool for everyone involved. Everyone is playing a role in making it happen. It’s such a team effort to make sure he can get back and forth and do all the right things. I think any time that you have an opportunity like that to tie-in more people that already work at the company, I think is super healthy because it gives people the opportunity to be a part of something that they might not normally be on a given weekend, which is fun.”

 

About Chevrolet

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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Coca-Cola 600 Advance | Friday, May 24, 2024

Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Team Penske, is coming off a win in last weekend’s NASCAR All-Star Race. He stopped by the Charlotte Motor Speedway infield media center earlier today to talk about National Mobility Awareness Month and this weekend’s race.

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse – CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE YOU HAD DRIVING WITH TORSTEN GROSS AND EXPERIENCING A CAR EQUIPPED FOR DRIVERS WHO CAN ONLY USE THEIR HANDS? “This is a really neat program that Pennzoil is partnering up with Torsten and his foundation and really just giving everyone the ability to drive their vehicle when their mobility isn’t quite the same as everybody here. They have a great way of trying to help everybody get in a vehicle and drive with just your hands and with no feet. It was a neat experience. The hand controls bolt right into a car. We had a stock Dark Horse Mustang right there and they bolted it all in there pretty quickly. The throttle, you turn it. The brakes, you push it in and then you strap your hand in on the other end of the steering wheel and off you go. It’s definitely a really neat experience, challenging to learn how to do it because you’re initial reaction is to hit the brakes with your feet, or the gas, but he tied my feet up to the door so I couldn’t even use my feet. We had a good laugh about that and then we tried driving it around the Roval here. It was cool. I wasn’t very smooth for a while. I eventually got a little bit more of a handle on it, but the point is it’s really neat that he races and that he can compete. Think about it. There aren’t other sports where a paraplegic can compete with somebody who has normally functioning legs and be able to compete together in the same league. He does that weekly, so how neat is that to be able to do that. He was very good at it, much better than me with as smooth as he was, but definitely a really neat experience. That’s something neat Pennzoil has done to really show how their pushing forward in a lot of different areas and just a fun experience, for sure. The long version of the video is really fun. I would say go to You Tube and find it on Pennzoil’s channel. It’s pretty neat.”

DO YOU THINK THIS COULD OPEN UP TO WHERE IT WOULD BE ALLOWED IN NASCAR DOWN THE ROAD? “Honestly, I don’t see a reason why it couldn’t. It’s all about comfort and reps. That’s what I realized as I was driving. I was like, ‘OK, I could see how this is something that can make sense.’ Getting the car set up for that would be the biggest thing. Our cars have pretty stiff steering. You’d need a little bit easier steering rack to be able to steer. You should see how you have to get your arm in there. There are a couple extra braces to be able to steer it, but I think if you get all of that right, I don’t see why you couldn’t. The upper body strength that you need is ridiculous to be able to steer with one hand for a long period of time. You aren’t ever putting your other hand back on the wheel. You can’t. To be able to drive for a long period of time, I think would be hard. I don’t think it’s impossible. I just think it would be really, really hard to do that. I think it definitely can happen, though, if the opportunity arose.”

WHY DID YOU GET YOUR CDL? “So, I grew up around trucks. My father had a trucking company growing up, so I always drove trucks. I still like driving trucks all the time, but I need to do it legally, so I went to school. This morning, we woke up and I drove up to Statesville and took my test up there at the DMV and I passed it, so that’s good. I’m officially a CDL license holder, so I’m sure now that anytime we get in a bind I’m gonna be ready to truck. I want to be the first one in a long time to drive their truck to the racetrack, so that would be kind of cool to do. It was a bit of a process the last few weeks of going to school and learning and driving around on the road. I had a lot of fun. It’s challenging to do it. It’s not the easiest thing in the world. I was nervous. I told the guy doing the test with me I said, ‘Listen, I drive in high-pressure situations every single weekend. You’re making me nervous.’ He’s over there and ‘every time I make a turn you’re writing something down.’ I said, ‘You’re wigging me out.’ We were laughing, but I was able to do it. I made the obstacle course and got it done.”

WOULD YOU RATHER WIN A LOT OF RACES AND NO CHAMPIONSHIP OR A FEW RACES AND MANY CHAMPIONSHIPS? “Championships. In any sport, that’s mainly what you’re measured by. You think of basketball or football, they don’t ask ‘what was your winning percentage or how many wins did you have?’ How many rings do you have? That’s what everybody asks. With that said, race wins are a lot harder than football wins. I don’t want that to come across the wrong way and I’ll explain why. A football game is a 50-50 chance. We’re 1 in 40. You think about that and race wins are gonna be worth more because it’s harder to do. The odds are not in your favor to go out there and win every single week. A good season is six wins, especially these days, so it’s really hard to accomplish a lot of wins. I think you can measure somebody for sure for their success on how many wins they have, for sure, but I think the championship thing has always been a really big deal, I think, in sports in general.”

DO YOU FEEL THE FINE FOR RICKY STENHOUSE JR. WAS APPROPRIATE? “I’m not gonna get in the middle of that one, to be honest with you. I’m glad I’m not in the middle of it. I think, really, what we all want is consistency and knowing what the rule is and what’s OK and what’s not OK. That’s really all you ask for. Whether it’s the car or restarts or altercations apparently, just let me know the rules is what I want to know. What is the price I’m about to pay if I make this decision and is it worth it? That’s really how it’s got to be is just looking for consistency in that to where it’s the same all the time, and I know it’s hard to do. That’s a lot to ask for because every situation could be a little bit different. It’s a judgment call. There’s no black and white. When you look at a post-race altercation at what point is sometimes it’s OK and sometimes it’s not? I don’t know. I’d like to have a little bit more clarity on it to be honest with you, but I don’t know the answers.”

NASCAR PUSHED LAST WEEK’S START ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER TO ACCOMMODATE KYLE LARSON. IF THEY DO THAT THIS WEEK IS THAT OK? “I think as long as it’s within reason. There’s a lot of different things that go into this and, as a driver who has been in the sport for a long time, I see that there’s more to it than just me driving the race car. When you think about it, the start time for the race has been promoted for a certain time. Pushing it back a little bit, I’m sure, doesn’t really affect much. Pushing it back a lot does affect it a lot. Are we willing to give up ratings to get somebody here that chose not to be here to go race the Indy 500? That’s fine and really cool, don’t get me wrong. It’s really cool, but it was his choice to do that, so I don’t know at what point is out of reason to wait, but I don’t think we should race very, very long by any means because I don’t want it to hurt the rest of our sport for somebody that showed up late for the race. I don’t think I can call in and say, ‘Hey, I’m stuck in traffic because I left my house late. Can you wait for me?’ It’s not gonna happen. I also think this is a different scenario because of the cool factor and how it is good for motorsports all the way through. I just think at some point there’s got to be a point where we’ve got to start the race. I don’t know exactly where that’s at.”

WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCE WITH TORSTEN AND HOW HAS IT INFLUENCED YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON DRIVING AND MOBILITY? “Some of the things I learned the most about Torsten by being with him wasn’t even in the car. It was just how he talked out of the car and his attitude on life, his approach on life. After his accident, you really could have gone one or two ways. He could have been in a really bad spot for the rest of his life and instead he just looked at it as an opportunity and, as odd as this sounds, he seemed thankful for his accident because of what came because of that opportunity and what he’s made of it. That was the number one thing I took out of the day. Outside of the car. Outside of all the other stuff attitude is everything in life and to see a situation where I think I would be pretty down for a long, long time and I’m sure he was for a while, but he’s just one of those people that’s gonna make the best of any situation that’s dealt to him and there aren’t many worse from a mobility situation. He’s been able to grow something out of nothing. He didn’t race before. This is all new to him, so to see that, I think that’s the number one thing I took and learned from him.”

HOW EYE-OPENING WAS IT TO REALIZE THIS IS THE ONLY SPORT WHERE SOMEBODY IN A WHEELCHAIR CAN COMPETE AGAINST SOMEBODY WHO IS ABLE-BODIED ON THE SAME LEVEL? “Very eye-opening. To be honest with you, I never thought about it. We’ve done a lot of things at the Paralympics before with the sled hockey stuff years ago. There’s no way that they would be able to compete in the NHL, but with this scenario I do believe with enough practice and God given talent and determination if there is somebody that can get good enough driving just with their hands there’s no reason they can’t compete on Sunday with us.”

HOW DIFFICULT WAS IT DRIVING WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO USE YOUR FEET AND HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO GET USED TO IT? “Honestly, it’s like anything else. The first bit is really easy. To drive down the road, I wouldn’t have a problem at all, just like everybody else can drive down the road here today. But when you try to push a car to its very extreme, that’s where it changes. When I started, of course I’m gonna try to push it. They didn’t want me to. I didn’t listen. I was gonna go. They put me on a racetrack in a Mustang what do you think is gonna happen? Let’s be real here, so I throttled her up and I just wasn’t smooth. Driving a car fast it’s very important – all of your inputs are very slow. You get the car loaded, you get onto the brakes easy, you do all those things and I was just choppy. The hard part is you use throttle, you twist the throttle The brake you push. You can do both at the same time. You don’t want to, but you can be on the gas and hitting the brakes and getting the car all in a bind. I did that a few times until you can kind of figure that out, so you’ve just got to use muscle memory to figure out how to do that. The other thing is just the steering you’ve got one hand on it, so the fine-tuning turning that we do just to find increments I couldn’t do that as quickly. When you see our hands in their they’re moving just a little bit at a time. We feel that we’re moving there. It was kind of like bigger motions when I was doing it, but I think some of that is just muscle memory getting better at it and I was getting tired to be honest with you. I ran a few laps there and my shoulders were tired, just a bunch of muscles I never use, so it was definitely a lot different.”

CAN YOU SEE YOURSELF WORKING WITH THIS PARTNERSHIP FOR A WHILE? “Quite possibly. You never know where life brings you sometimes. Really, all I do is I just go with the flow on a lot of things. You’d be surprised. It’s really cool as a race car driver. There are a lot of things that show up your way and I’ve learned this probably from Kyle Petty more than anybody else. He just doesn’t say no and you’d be surprised the amount of stories and things that you can do in life if you just say yes and go to the event, or when something comes your way and you just give it a shot. There are a lot of really cool things that happen. Nobody does it better than Kyle. That’s why I brought his name up. He’s the one I think of all the time. He’s like that movie Yes, Man. That’s who that guy is. I try to be like that as much as I can, not as much as him, but I try a little bit and so you never know what comes up next and where I end up. If you told me 10 years ago we’d be sitting where we are today, parts of it I would believe and not all of it.”

HOW MUCH OF A KICKSTART CAN THE WIN LAST WEEK BE FOR YOUR SEASON AND WHAT HASN’T GONE RIGHT UP UNTIL THIS POINT? “It was great to go up there and grab a win. I wish it was points, for sure, but a million bucks is still pretty dang good. I don’t think anyone in here would complain about that, so I’m not going to either. It happened to be one of those weekends where everything went perfect. The car was fast. Qualifying was good. We led all of the laps. Everything you can ask for. We haven’t had that this year. We’ve had something happen in almost every race, where things are going well and then, ‘uh’ that happened or we just didn’t go fast. Odds and ends, different things. It’s just been that kind of year for us. There’s a long ways to go. We’re halfway to the playoffs. We have time to make up and get out of the hole that we’re in, but we’re in a hole. There’s no doubt about that, so we’ll keep attacking and getting after it. The good thing is that win does help the momentum of the team. It helps the confidence. We got them all together a couple nights ago at my house and we had a lot of fun and celebrated a win. We came down to the concert last night and we had a little bit of fun down there as well, so there’s a lot of good things that come along with that and a lot of momentum and attitudes that are a lot happier, and I do think that helps performance all the way through. I feel like we kind of needed this good uptick, a lot of good things happening right now in everybody’s life, so that’s a good place to be.”

YOU FLEW IN AN F-16 DURING YOUR MISSION 600 VISIT. HOW DID THAT CHANGE THE WAY YOU VIEW THIS SUNDAY IN THE 600? “I would say I’ve been very fortunate to the point of saying yes to things, to go on some USO Tours in my life and visit other military bases and we do the Mission 600 thing every year and get to go visit a military base and speak to our military. At this point, for me, I understand it – at least as much as a civilian can – to realize that these guys are just real bad asses that are far superior than me, and 99 percent of the world out there. These people, I can’t put it into perspective. I wish everyone got to go and do some of these things because you would appreciate your country even more than you already do. It is absolutely incredible to see the commitment, the discipline that these men and women have to put it all on the line for strangers, and when they go to combat, even if they come back OK, they’ve gone through a lot and their families that are at home for that long period of time, I’m sure there are some military families in this room that understand some of this a lot more than me, but I don’t like leaving my family for two days at a time. I couldn’t imagine months or years at a time. That’s the craziest thing I ever heard. I couldn’t help but think about that when I’m there and speaking to them at the Shaw Air Force Base. That’s their home, so they’re at home at the moment, so I was able to meet some of their families too, and even when I was in the jet itself we were flying around and doing all of these incredible maneuvers and I was thinking, ‘Imagine if someone was trying to shoot me right now.’ That’s a whole different game, or whatever the mission may be and you have to make those really, really hard decisions – hard decisions – not whether we should pit and and put two tires on or stay out. That’s a very small decision in comparison to what these people are doing. That’s why I love this weekend so much. I really do appreciate it and my perspective changed years ago because of these things and I wish that everyone would get to experience that, but I think we do a good job here at Charlotte with the speedway and Coca-Cola together trying to not only honor our military because they deserve it, but help our country understand a little bit more of what they go through and helps reminds us that every Memorial Day Weekend, but we should be reminded every day and I think that’s hard to do sometimes because we’re in our little world. We’re in our little NASCAR world and we think about going in circles every day and we think that’s a big deal, but in the grand scheme of things it’s the smallest thing in the world when you think about what these guys are doing for sure. It’s a really cool weekend that we can do that. Thank you Charlotte Motor Speedway for doing that, and Coca-Cola. It’s a really neat thing to do for sure, and it scared the hell out of me, just so you know.”

WILL YOU BE PAYING ANY ATTENTION TO HOW KYLE LARSON DOES IN THE INDY 500 AS SOMEONE WHO IS REPRESENTING THE NASCAR SIDE OF MOTORSPORTS THERE AS WELL? “Absolutely, yeah. Honestly, I hope he finishes fourth. I really do. I can say that, right? That would be awesome. Obviously, I want a Penske car to win. Those are my guys. This is our team, but I want Kyle Larson to do good, and he already has, let’s be real. No matter what happens in the race, at this point he’s been pretty impressive with what he’s done there. I don’t know if there are many other drivers that can do what he’s doing. He’s just got a ton of natural talent that he can just jump in and do this type of stuff. I think it’s awesome he’s doing it. Don’t get me wrong with what I said earlier. What he’s doing is awesome, really, really cool. It’s great for motorsports in general. I think it’s just as good for NASCAR as it is for IndyCar to have him there, so I think for motorsports it’s great. It’s a huge storyline. People are talking about it. I hope it all works out. I hope the weather and all of it works the way it’s supposed to. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. But, at this point, I’d say you’ve got to call it a success.”

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway… Richard Childress Racing has earned eight NASCAR Cup Series victories on the oval at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The team has six 600-mile wins to their credit (Dale Earnhardt – 1986, 1992, 1993, Kevin Harvick – 2011, 2013, and Austin Dillon – 2017). Both Kyle Busch (sixth) and Austin Dillon (ninth) scored top-10 finishes in the 2023 Coca-Cola 600.

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway… RCR has also found success in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway with five victories, most recently when Tyler Reddick captured the checkered flag in 2019. Dillon swept both spring and fall races on the 1.5-mile layout in 2015. Jeff Green gave the Welcome, N.C., based company its first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory in 2002 (spring). In 2023, Austin Hill led the RCR stable with a fourth-place finish at the Concord, N.C. facility.

Honor and Remember… As a tradition like none other on Memorial Day weekend, RCR is honored to pay tribute to the brave men and women of the armed forces who have made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. Everyone at RCR, led by Richard Childress, expresses deep gratitude to those who have paid the price for this country both near and abroad. During the Coca-Cola 600, please take a moment to remember their loved ones left behind as each life will not be forgotten.

In Memory of Patrick Gottsch… All five RCR cars entered this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway will carry a special decal to remember the life of Patrick Gottsch. Gottsch dedicated his time to building Rural Media Group, parent company to RFD-TV, The Cowboy Channel, The Cowgirl Channel, and Rural Radio SiriusXM. Launching in 2017, The Cowboy Channel became the first 24-hour network dedicated to western sports and the western lifestyle. Gottsch suddenly passed away on May 18 and was survived by his wife, Angie, and three daughters, Raquel, Gatsby, and Rose.

RCR in the News… Earlier this week, two exciting partnerships for Dillon and the No. 3 Cup Series program were announced. On Tuesday, Marine Toys for Tots®, America’s premier children’s Christmastime charity, joined the storied race organization to highlight the charity’s year-round programs. Watch the No. 3 Toys for Tots Chevrolet on track at Darlington Raceway in September. On Wednesday, a unique design was unveiled as Dow and their partners, Ducks Unlimited and Rivers Are Life, teamed up to support healthy ecosystems that benefit communities and the planet. The Dow Water and Nature Camaro will take to the track at WWT Raceway in June.

Catch the Action on Saturday… The BetMGM 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, May 25 beginning at 1 p.m. ET on FOX. The race will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Follow Sunday’s Action at Charlotte… The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway will be televised live on Sunday, May 26 beginning at 6 p.m. ET on FOX. The race will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Austin Dillon and No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Charlotte Motor Speedway… Austin Dillon earned his career-first NASCAR Cup Series win with a victory in the Coca-Cola 600 in May 2017. A native of North Carolina, Dillon has raced in 15 NASCAR Cup Series events at his home state track, posting five top-10 results. Dillon has completed 96 percent of the laps competed on the 1.5-mile racetrack and is a two-time winner at the speedway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

About Bass Pro Shops… Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations, and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops united with Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations, and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.” Bass Pro Shops has a long relationship with NASCAR, dating back to 1998. For more information, visit http://www.basspro.com/.

Supporting Our Heroes… Bass Pro Shops has a strong affinity for the armed forces and their families, a value that starts with the noted conservationist and visionary founder, Johnny Morris. His lifelong respect and gratitude to servicemen and women was strongly shaped by his father, John A. Morris, a decorated World War II veteran who proudly served his country in the Battle of the Bulge. There is no adequate way to properly thank our military and veterans, but Bass Pro Shops strives to honor their sacrifices and celebrate their heroism every day. Bass Pro Shops proudly employs over 4,000 Veteran Outfitters across North America.

Red, White, and Blue… Dillon’s Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats Camaro features a special patriotic scheme for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 race. To honor all United States armed forces, both past and present, the No. 3 Chevrolet will sport red, white, and blue colors.

Honoring Captain Jennifer Moreno… As part of NASCAR’s 600 Miles of Remembrance program, the windshield header on the No. 3 Chevrolet will feature the name of United States Army Captain Jennifer Moreno. Moreno lost her life on October 6, 2013 in the Zhari district of Afghanistan. She served as a nurse and was part of the Army Special Operations Command attached to Bravo Company of the 3rd Ranger Bn. She was killed while trying to reach Sgt. Tom Block, who had been severely injured by a female suicide bomber. As a nurse, Moreno’s first response was to rush to the aid of Sgt. Block and other wounded Rangers. As she ran forward, she set off an IED and was killed. Moreno was posthumously promoted to the rank of Captain and was also awarded a Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart after her death in the line of duty. Sgt. Block, the ranger who Moreno rushed to aid, was the son of Timothy Collins, the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Hunting Lead in Owatonna, Minn.

Meet Dillon… On Saturday, May 25 at 11 a.m. ET, Dillon is scheduled to make an appearance at Boot Barn, located at 7940 Lyles Lane NW, Concord, N.C. 28027. On Sunday, May 26 at 12:15 p.m. ET, the veteran racer will participate in a question and answer session at the Speed Street Fan Zone Stage at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Stop by to hear Dillon, John Roberts, and Kenny Wallace.

Questions, Please… Dillon is scheduled to join BetMGM head of partnerships Kyle Wachtel to discuss this weekend’s race and RCR’s partnership with BetMGM on Saturday, May 25 at 3:45 p.m. The media availability will take place on Speed Street in front of the BetMGM display. Media are invited to stop by to learn more about BetMGM.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:

Where does the Coca-Cola 600 rank on your list of favorite races on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule?

“The Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 are two of my favorite races of the year. The Coca-Cola 600 is one of the toughest races on the calendar. It’s a rough track. It is a challenge to run 600 miles, but I enjoy challenges, so I always look forward to the race. I was able to win the Coca-Cola 600 in 2017 and we were close last year and finished ninth.”

What does racing on Memorial Day weekend mean to you?

“This weekend is about remembering those who gave everything to our country. It’s great to see the impact the 600 Miles of Remembrance program has on service members’ families. Captain Jennifer Moreno will race with me on the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats Chevrolet this weekend and I’m very proud to honor her and her family at Charlotte Motor Speedway. There’s nothing like the National Anthem during the Coca-Cola 600. It’s a weekend of freedom.”

Kyle Busch and the No. 8 zone Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Charlotte Motor Speedway… Kyle Busch will make his 36th NASCAR Cup Series start on the 1.5-mile oval at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Busch won the 2018 Coca-Cola 600 in one of the most dominating performances of his career. The Las Vegas native started from the pole and led 377 of 400 laps on the way to his first win at the Concord, N.C. facility. His average running position in that race was a staggering 1.21 and Busch was the only driver to run all 400 laps inside the top-10. In 35 Cup Series races, Busch has 22 top-10 finishes, scoring a top-10 result in 62.85 percent of his starts – including six of his last seven at the speedway. Busch also has earned three pole positions – 2008 (spring), 2014 (fall), and 2018 (spring).

Stats of the Week… Among active Cup Series drivers, Busch sits second all-time in laps led (1,487) and is tied for the most top-five finishes (16) on the oval at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Points Update… Busch currently holds the 13th position in the Cup Series driver championship point standings, 34 points behind 10th-place.

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Honoring LCPL Jacob Levy… The windshield header on the No. 8 zone Chevrolet will feature the name of LCPL Christopher Phoenix-Jacob Levy, who lost his life on December 10, 2011 in Landstuhl, Germany – two and a half days after being wounded in Kajaki, Afghanistan. Jacob, as he was known to family and friends, made up his mind that he wanted to join the military when he was just nine years old to help get the perpetrators of the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers. He joined the USMC JROTC in middle school, the Army JROTC in high school, and became a proud member of the Lumbee (Tuscarora/Waccamaw-Siouan) tribe of N.C. During his first deployment, Levy and his platoon were just outside the perimeter of where Bin Ladin was killed. He returned home on Mother’s Day 2011. Levy desired to be a part of something bigger than himself and make a difference. Not only did he pay the ultimate sacrifice, but he was an organ donor and seven people are living better lives today because of his donation.

KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:

You have five top-five finishes in the last seven Coca-Cola 600 races. Why does that race fit your driving style so well?

“The Coca-Cola 600 has been pretty good for me over the years. I’ve really just enjoyed that race. I’m probably one of the few guys left that have run the 600 miles for as long as I have, versus the rest of the guys only doing 400 mile races lately. You definitely know that you have to be ready for a long, long day. I used to think that running Xfinity and Truck races in the same weekend would allow your longevity to be longer for a 600 miler but I don’t get to run those as much. I don’t think that plays as much into the races currently.”

Last year the Coca-Cola 600 was rain-delayed to Monday and was then briefly stopped again before being completed. How mentally challenging is that for a driver to manage?

“Anytime you have rain delays it’s always tough. It’s not really what you set yourself up for but it’s a part of our sport. Being used to it and being around for 20 years, it gives you the opportunity to just have that experience of getting back going whenever the race does get back going. I think it’s a little bit frustrating when you’re starting the race and you know weather is coming and you run 20 laps even though you know the weather is coming. We might as well just not race at all and just postpone it. That saves the fans’ day, that saves the drivers’ day, the families’ day, everything in that respect plus it’s a 600 mile race. It’s long anyway so let’s not make it longer.”

Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Camaro SS at Charlotte Motor Speedway… Jesse Love will make his inaugural NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday. Despite not having NASCAR race experience at the Concord, N.C. facility, the 19-year-old is already a race winner at the speedway. Last May in the ARCA Menards Series event, Love started from the pole position, led 67 laps, and secured the victory.

Testing 1, 2, 3… Prior to the start of the 2024 Xfinity Series season, Love was able to participate in a rookie test at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Menlo Park, California native turned his first laps behind the wheel of the No. 2 Chevrolet on that day in January and spent hours making laps around the 1.5-mile oval.

Points Check… Love currently sits in the fourth position in the Xfinity Series driver championship point standings, 57 points behind points leader Austin Hill. in addition, Love continues to be ranked first in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Point standings, 138 points above Shane van Gisbergen.

Manufactured in America… The No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet will sport a special red, white, and blue paint scheme this Memorial Day weekend to honor those who have and are currently serving our country and local communities. As a company that is “Trusted to Protect First Responders,” Whelen proudly manufactures all products in America and is committed to providing reliable products that keep first responders and their communities safe.

About Whelen Engineering… Whelen Engineering is a family-owned company with a pioneering spirit and a passion to protect the lives of those who protect and serve others. The company mission is to provide industry-defining safety solutions around the world, while creating a community of problem-solvers who are inspired to push boundaries and continue our legacy of delivering ground-breaking innovation. As a global leader in the emergency warning industry, Whelen has been trusted to perform since 1952, when George Whelen III invented the first rotating aviation beacon. Whelen now encompasses two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Connecticut and New Hampshire with over 750,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing space and the largest design staff in the industry. Every part of every Whelen product is proudly designed and manufactured in America. We embrace quality as our foundation, we celebrate innovative engineering in every product we produce.

Meet Love… On Saturday, May 25 at 10:15 a.m. ET, Love and his teammate Austin Hill are scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler located in the Fan Zone at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Stop by to get your No. 2 gear and meet the rookie sensation.

JESSE LOVE QUOTES:

One year ago, at Charlotte Motor Speedway, you won the ARCA Menards Series race from the pole and led the most laps. What about Charlotte do you think fits your driving style and made you so comfortable? “I perform well at tracks like Charlotte Motor Speedway that are banked and have a lot of grip. Going to a big and fast race track is good for me and suits my driving style really well. Race tracks like Kansas Speedway, Pocono Raceway, and Charlotte Motor Speedway really work with my driving style.”

How does your experience in the ARCA Menards Series car translate to the NASCAR Xfinity Series car? Do you think it has shortened your learning curve? What has that adjustment been like? “The ARCA time really helped to shorten my learning curve. The biggest thing was knowing how to drive a car on an intermediate sized track. The Xfinity car is definitely different from anything I’ve ever driven, but I wouldn’t say that it’s any harder. It suits my driving style, but overall driving the ARCA cars last year was a big advantage to me this year.”

Your first time in a NASCAR Xfinity Series car was at Charlotte Motor Speedway during a test and you had the opportunity to spend eight hours on the track. How is that experience going to help you going into this race? “It gives us a little bit of an advantage. Just knowing how the car is going to trend and how to unload in Charlotte, because I have laps there, is super important. Other races this year have shown that we can already unload fast, but now I know how the car will trend over the course of the run. We also have the qualifying run there, so going back there for a second time is a big advantage.”

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet Camaro SS at Charlotte Motor Speedway… Austin Hill has made three career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the Charlotte Motor Speedway oval, posting a fourth-place result one year ago while driving the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. The Winston, Ga. native has also competed in two NASCAR Truck Series races and one ARCA Menards Series event at the 1.5-mile speedway.

Top of the Hill… For the third time this season, Hill has returned to the top of the Xfinity Series driver championship point standings. The 30-year-old currently has a three-point lead over second-place Cole Custer.

Love Country. Love Trucking… Hill’s Bennett Transportation and Logistics Camaro will feature a special design at Charlotte Motor Speedway, highlighting Bennett Family of Companies’ patriotism core value and representing the hundreds of United States Military Veteran truck drivers in their fleet. The scheme showcases various specialized trucks hauling military freight, with the motto “Love Country. Love Trucking.” and highlights Bennett’s strong commitment to support the missions of our government to protect our country and advance freedom. For over 20 years, Bennett has been a tier one supplier to the United States government, with their team of secure truck drivers safely moving military vehicles, aircraft parts in support of the F-35 program, arms, ammunition, and explosives to bases across the country.

About Bennett Family of Companies… McDonough-Ga. based Bennett Family of Companies is a woman-owned, Women’s Enterprise Business Council (WBENC) certified, diversified transportation and logistics company. Through its 14 affiliated operating companies, the Bennett Family of Companies delivers integrated transportation and supply chain management solutions worldwide. Bennett has 4,625 drivers/owner-operators, over 1,000 employees and 600 agents located across the United States. For more information, visit www.bennettig.com.

In Memory of Uncle Duane… The Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet will carry a special in memory decal at Charlotte Motor Speedway, as Hill and the RCR team help honor Maurice Duane Green. Green, the uncle of Bennett Family of Companies’ Vice President, Lynette Mathis, was a loyal race fan and supporter of Hill, who loved cheering on the No. 21 each week.

Meet Hill… On Saturday, May 25 at 10:15 a.m. ET, Hill and his teammate Jesse Love are scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler located in the Fan Zone at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Stop by to get your No. 21 gear and have Hill sign the items purchased.

AUSTIN HILL QUOTE:

Talk about your Xfinity Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway one year ago.

“Last year, it took a handful of laps for our car to come in at the beginning of a run, but once we got going, the handling would come alive. We made gains all day and made it better on the short run. Before our final pit stop under green, I was starting to run a couple guys down when they got to battling, but every time I would get closer to them, our car would get really tight. The track went through a change and our car would get loose. We played a pit strategy, thinking that the leaders wouldn’t be able to make it on fuel. Somehow, they did, but overall to get a top-five finish was good for our No. 21 team. I look forward to going back to Charlotte Motor Speedway again, especially with the Bennett Love Country. Love Trucking. military scheme. Our armed forces are the lifeline of our country and to honor them on this Memorial Day weekend is special.”

Kyle Busch and the No. 33 Rebel Bourbon/BetMGM Chevrolet Camaro SS at Charlotte Motor Speedway… Kyle Busch will make his 27th NASCAR Xfinity Series start on the Charlotte Motor Speedway oval. In 26 previous starts, Busch has nine wins (2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2020) and 22 top-10 results. Along with scoring a top-10 in 84.6 percent of his starts, Busch has an average finish of 6.40 and completed 96.5 percent of competed laps. In the veteran racer’s last Xfinity Series victory at the Concord, N.C. speedway in 2020, Busch led 94 laps and edged Daniel Hemric in NASCAR Overtime to secure the checkered flag.

Stat Leader… Busch leads all active NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers in every major statistical category at Charlotte Motor Speedway – wins (9), top-fives (19), top-10s (22) and laps led (1,475).

Did You Know? On May 24, 2003, Busch made his first-career Xfinity Series start at Charlotte Motor Speedway, scoring a second-place finish and leading 33 laps.

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KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:

For the first time in your career, you will drive a RCR Xfinity Series car this weekend. How special is it and why was this opportunity so appealing?

“I’m definitely looking forward to running the Rebel Bourbon/BetMGM Camaro this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. I think it’s going to be fun. I’m grateful for the opportunity from Richard Childress and everybody in the Xfinity shop. It’s been pretty good to talk with crew chiefs Danny Stockman and Andy Street to get their insight and try to help them with some ideas and concepts to be ready to roll. This opportunity is appealing not only to get out there and run in the Xfinity Series again, but also to help RCR’s development.”

What are your expectations for the race?

“Our expectation is obviously to win. I’ve won 102 of these races, so it shouldn’t be too foreign to me to get into another car, try to go out there and win the race. There’s obviously going to be some stiff competition. I’m looking forward to working with Austin Hill and Jesse Love. They’ve been fast at the mile-and-a-half tracks this season and they’ve done a good job. I’m just excited to see what it’s all about.”

Will you be able to work closely with RCR drivers Jesse Love and Austin Hill? Can you teach rookie Jesse Love something at this level?

“Jesse Love is so new and fresh to it that the opportunity of his learning and asking questions is wide-open. He probably has more questions than I have answers, but he’s learned a lot already and done a really good job for as young as he is. Austin Hill has been around the Truck and Xfinity Series long enough now that there’s probably not too much to tell him. It’s all about car feel and my description of everything to the crew chief and to the team. How they describe might be different than what I do. Even if we have the same setup, we could say it different ways.”